Come Together?

Is JT too sensitive, or do you also agree that this year's NDP theme "Come Together" seems strange. To begin, it just sounds SOOO wrong! Erm.. somehow it seems like a reference to a wet ending on the bed? *Guys snigger, Girls blush* Ok, bad joke. I just feel more thought should be used to producing the annual display of the nation's achievements.

"Come Together" is as clear as the thick Indonesian slash-and-burn haze. Were the organisers desperately attempting to summarise a meaningful phrase? Or was it plain bad English? It leaves me guessing what is the nation standing together for - our Constitution, our Independence, or the next cash welfare handout? Well, I really hope it is not an encrypted message to Singaporeans to conform to the social norms strongly proposed by our Ministers. State agencies after all are not well known to be inclusive to diversity in race, religion, culture, political views or sexual orientation.

It takes a recent incident at NTU convocation ceremony to drive home the message how important it is to defend what you believe in. Sometimes, actions are not governed by a transaparent formalised set of rules or guidelines, but by unexplained and, at many times, unreasonable out-of-bound markers (affectionally known as "OB markers" in local lingua franca) determined by state agencies. These OB markers may seem harmless, but when abused and enforced unfairly, may potentially threaten our individuality. The graduate ZH received the college's request to amend the posters to his graduating production, but decided to withdraw them from the ceremony exhibition instead of making a compromise on his artistic direction. After this "reality check", he "could not say the words (he had) drafted originally with conviction and authority by subjecting (his) work to censorship which (he) did not understand". As a Valedictorian to speak up on the cohort's behalf, ZH dumped his carefully-scripted note that will make any college chancellor proud, and instead delivered a heart-felt speech about his experience from this incident. He may have hit the headlines, but I hope the college, my alma mater, will fully appreciate his message and allow greater freedom of expression within the academic environment. After all, this was not the first incident in campus.

This has also made me think if we are willing and ready to defend our faith, idealogy and orientation when we are persecuted. Quoted from the speech, we have "to face these challenges objectively rather than emotionally, stay true to our convictions, seek compromise when necessary or appropriate, but be brave enough to stand firm when it is not, and told to compromise in areas where we should stand firm". Let's not "shut up and sit down".